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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29900595">I'll drive you to the hospital</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_in_SIN/pseuds/Writing_in_SIN'>Writing_in_SIN</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Ways to Say 'I Love You' [44]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship, Separation Anxiety, Soul Bond</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:34:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,040</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29900595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_in_SIN/pseuds/Writing_in_SIN</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Progenitor of the Bugster race, it's quite rare for Parad to be seriously injured.</p>
<p>Not this time, though.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Houjou Emu &amp; Parad (Kamen Rider Ex-Aid), Houjou Emu/Parad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Ways to Say 'I Love You' [44]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll drive you to the hospital</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you like, come scream at me on <a href="https://writing-in-sin.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Writing_in_SIN">Twitter</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>"I'll drive you to the hospital."</strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As the Progenitor of the Bugster race, it's quite rare for Parad to be seriously injured.</p>
<p>Not this time, though.</p>
<p>The moment Mogami is defeated and they're about to say their goodbyes to Build and Cross-Z with their fellow Riders, Emu barely managed to catch his bugster when Parad suddenly separates from him; forcing their transformation to fade away. Worried, he supports his bugster when Parad stumbles to his knees; sweat gathering on his forehead as his breathing comes out in stuttering gasps. Around them, the other Riders voice out their concern but Emu is deaf to everything that's not his week long missing partner in his arms. He grits his teeth, tucking Parad's head protectively under his chin.</p>
<p>Build- no...Kiryuu Sento kneels beside him; telling him in quick, brisk tones about the Game Fullbottle and its effect on Parad. Not for the first time, he feels a swell of irritation at Katsuragi Takumi for the blase way he handled things. If the scientist had explained things to them, Emu would've been more than willing to listen and could offer his help. Despite the fact that gambling his powers to defeat Mogami worked out in the end, Emu hates the fact that it was at the cost of adding more pain to him and Parad. Haven't they gone through enough over the years? They were still healing and yet, here they are now, forced to add another two years to the six they've already lost.</p>
<p>Can everyone just please stop stealing Parad away from him already!?</p>
<p>As if noting his anger, Sento quiets to then dip his head in a bow and whispers apologetically. "I'm really sorry about this."</p>
<p>"Not your fault, Sento-san." Sending the other Rider a reassuring smile, Emu then carefully tightens his hold around Parad. "You helped bring Parad back home to me. I can't thank you enough for that."</p>
<p>And it's true. The past week has been harrowing and painful without Parad by his side. The fact that Parad's been alone for two years makes his stomach roil. Honestly, Emu wants nothing more than to hide his Heart away so no one can ever take Parad away from him again. If it weren't for the faint pulse of the bond he could still feel throughout the week, Emu knows he would've been driven insane at the lost of Parad and suffer a mental breakdown.</p>
<p>Once is more than enough.</p>
<p>While still looking conflicted, Sento nods. "It's the least I could do, Emu-sensei."</p>
<p>"Do you need help?" Eiji asks, heavy concern lining his face while Ankh hovers beside him.</p>
<p>"I can try and heal him," Kouta offers as he kneels down beside him.</p>
<p>Emu shakes his head, tightening his hold on his best friend. "It's alright. Thank you, Eiji-san, Kouta-san."</p>
<p>Parad groans, raising his head to squint up at him and to see his fiercely independent friend so weakened makes Emu's heart lurch in his chest. "Emu?"</p>
<p>"I've got you, Parad," he reassures and tries to give his partner a cheeky grin as he teases out a familiar joke between them. "C'mon, I'll drive you to the hospital."</p>
<p>Parad barks out a laugh, a tinge of hysteria in his voice and their still healing bond wails with desperate hope and longing. It causes tears to well up in his eyes and Emu swallows the lump in his throat to no avail.</p>
<p>"You're real." Parad sways until his forehead rests against Emu's shoulders as he trembles. "You're still mine?"</p>
<p>Clenching his eyes shut, Emu feels a few tears stream down his face. "Of course I'm still yours, Parad. Always."</p>
<p>
  <em>I can forgive you for stealing my powers, Katsuragi.</em>
</p>
<p>Not caring that they're around allies they still barely know, Emu cradles Parad's face in his hands and presses a lingering kiss to the exhausted, distressed bugster's forehead.</p>
<p>"And you; Parad," he says fiercely once he pulls back, reaching into his reawakened antibody and lets his vision bleed into crimson. "You're still mine- always."</p>
<p>The bond sings with bone deep relief as Parad's eyes flutter closed, pitching forward as he breaks down into pixels and returns home to Emu within his heart and right down to his soul- where he rightfully belongs.</p>
<p>
  <em>But for leaving Parad stranded in your world for two years despite having the means to send him back home to me?</em>
</p>
<p>Gasping, he scrabbles at the ground as the floodgates that Parad sealed away out of consideration for Emu burst opened. He's drowning from the onslaught. His bones are quaking as his blood freezes in his veins and Emu can feel the suffocating, crushing loneliness and hopelessness that followed every step Parad took in the two years he was alone. Dimly, he can feel Banjou and Takeru supporting him but Emu shakily waves them away. He wants the pain. No more in letting Parad carry such hurt and agony alone.</p>
<p>
  <em>That? I can <strong>never</strong> forgive.</em>
</p>
<p>"I'm alright," he chokes out, voice hoarse from barely holding back his screams of righteous fury at the pain Parad was subjected to. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Emu wipes away the tears and stumbles to his feet. He turns to smile at the other Riders, reassured at their presence. "Thank you, everyone."</p>
<p>Takeru hovers close, holding onto his arm in support as the younger Rider frets over him. "Is there really nothing we can do to help, Emu-sensei?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Banjou chimes in, brows furrowing. "You look really pale, man."</p>
<p>"That's an understatement," Kouta murmurs, a warm, healing support on his other side.</p>
<p>Sento ruffles his hair, worried. "Are you sure you're alright?" Then the scientist glances down at Emu's chest and the worry deepens. "Both of you?"</p>
<p>Truthfully, he thinks that neither he nor Parad are going to be alright for awhile- knows with mounting dread that their shared separation anxiety is going to come back with a vengeance; maybe even worse than before considering the circumstances. However...</p>
<p>
  <em>We're invincible together.</em>
</p>
<p>"...we will be," Emu answers eventually after some careful consideration, palm resting against his Heart. Within him, the bond pulses with golden warmth as Parad's own heart beats along with his own and Emu smiles, reassured and unafraid.</p>
<p>"We will be."</p>
<p> </p>
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